In memoriam: Samir K. Ballas (1938–2022)
Authors: Deepika S. Darbari, Kalpna Gupta
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2022)

Dr. Samir Ballas, a leading and compassionate hematologist, highly regarded for his expertise in sickle cell disease and pain, passed away battling with metastatic cancer on August 12th, 2022. Dr Ballas was truly a citizen of the world and a believer in diversity with a passion for sickle cell disease care, research, and education. He was born in 1938 in Jaffa, Palestine, but he came from the lineage of a Sudanese grandmother and Egyptian grandfather. His family fled to Beirut, Lebanon as refugees in 1948 after violence erupted, which made him recognize the value of being educated. He was always at the top in his class and as a result, he got the attention of the United Nations, who funded his college and medical school education at the American University of Beirut where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and received his MD with distinction. He was offered the prestigious position as a doctor at ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia with a lavish salary. He declined the position because it did not involve sickle cell disease, in spite of his family's economic hardships at the time. He moved to the United States in 1970 with his Armenian Christian wife who supported his goals unconditionally. Dr. Ballas became interested in sickle cell disease after attending a lecture on sickle cell disease which became his calling. He completed his training in Hematology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, Blood Banking, Pain Medicine, and Pain Management. He served as the Director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and Director of the Blood Bank of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Most recently he was Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University and honorary staff member of HEMORIO, the Hematology Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dr Ballas was the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors. Notably, most of them show his concern for the care and welfare of the patients and dedication to sickle cell disease. Early in his career in 1988, Dr Ballas received the “Recognition Award” by the Sickle Cell Patient Committee, followed by another “Recognition Award” in 1993 for Dedication to the Cardeza Sickle Cell Patients, and 2 separate awards in the year 2000, a “Special Award for Caring and Dedication for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease” from the Sickle Cell Support Group and “Appreciation of Dedication” in the management of pain in sickle cell disease from the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program at Brookdale Hospital and Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY. He was recognized internationally for his leading expertise in SCD and was bestowed with a testimonial as an “International Health Professional of the Year” in 2005, a “Life-time Achievement Award” for service research and education for SCD from the Howard University in 2011 and the “Distinguished Service Award” from Sickle Cell Thalassemia Patients Network, Brooklyn in 2012. His seminal contribution to pain in SCD was recognized nationally with a “Patient Advocacy Award” from American Academy of Pain Medicine in 2015. Dr Ballas's contribution to research and scholarship was honored with an honorary “Doctorate of Science” from Cambridge, England in 2017. Dr. Ballas was a highly accomplished academic physician devoted to improving the lives of individuals with sickle cell disease through personal care and scientific inquiry. He made many significant contributions to the field of sickle cell disease through laboratory-based and clinical research especially related to pain in sickle cell disease. Dr. Ballas was a prolific writer. He authored or co-authored over 900 articles, book chapters, and abstracts. He also published four books two of which are on pain in sickle cell disease. His publications demonstrate his compassion, passion, care and efforts to improve the lives of individuals by addressing their pain, a major comorbidity of sickle cell disease impairing the quality of life. In addition to pain, he called for developing strategies to reduce organ damage, to “rethink hemoglobin threshold guidelines in SCD”; “menopause in Brazilian women with SCD”; and attention to provide opioids for analgesia in SCD without “opioidphobia” amongst providers. His goals were to reduce the undue suffering because of the disease and raising awareness amongst the medical community to improve care. Dr Ballas brought sickle cell pain to the forefront. He remained devoted to promoting awareness for pain and finding solutions to reduce pain through inventive strategies. One of his publications in “Blood” in 2002 described how he treated painful leg ulcers with topical oxycodone and meperidine when nothing else could relieve the pain. He raised awareness about the ethical issues in the management of sickle cell pain in 2001 through a publication in the American Journal of Hematology. In addition to pain, he contributed significantly to the study of red cell biology and challenging issues in healthcare. In 1990s, he described the red blood cell proteases in SCD, which are now being recognized as critical components of sickle cell pathobiology. He wrote about “Tensions in the racial integration of healthcare” in 1998 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which highlights his concern for disparities in healthcare, issues that we are realizing now. Dr Ballas was ahead of his time and his research and foresight have contributed significantly to the foundation of several aspects of SCD. Dr Ballas leaves behind his cherished patients who continue to respect him for his devotion and love him as a friend. He mentored many scientists and hematologists who will continue his legacy of intellectual curiosity and dedication to healthcare. He is survived by his loving daughter Nadia, a large sickle cell community of caregivers, and colleagues from around the world who will miss him dearly. He will be remembered for his simplicity, kindness, and service beyond self and truly represents the phrase—“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” Albert Einstein. None related to the content of this article. NA